Access to mobile power sources is becoming a necessity for portable electronics users. The need to charge portable electronics like cell phones, radios, GPS, or entertainment devices has been met with backup battery and solar powered solutions. Many people around the world have access to cheap, portable electronics but lack a suitable means to charge them. Foot-powered, mechanical (kinetic) energy harvesting solutions are renewable and universal solutions to on-the-go charging needs.
A charging system based on the present invention could be used in a variety of applications including being placed in insoles and embedded in shoes for charging mobile electronics. These applications include but are not limited to communication devices, medical and survival equipment, location/tracking equipment, sensors, and media electronics. The system could also be used in military and hiking boots to power a GPS, night vision goggles, communication technology and other equipment.
By using mechanical linkages and simple machines in a profile suitable for foot-powered walking motion, the device has a number of advantages over piezoelectric systems and microfludic systems of prior art. Using gears, pulleys, and other simple machines in a footwear profile includes embodiments that fit in the sole of a shoe (i.e. embedded within or built into a shoe) or within an orthotic insole (similar to a cut-to-fit, off-the-shelf insert that can be placed in a shoe).
Other advantages over prior art include the incorporation of continuous or non-continuous drive trains actuated by the heel strike portion of the gait. This includes mechanical systems that optimize on the timing of a gait by extending the time of motion, and thus power generation capabilities, of the device before a second actuating step is induced in the mechanism. A continuous drive train also includes solutions that limit the directionality of motion in any part of the device such that the power generation component spins in a unified direction for the purpose of increasing power output.
The mechanism also has applications in the consumer market for trail and mountain-based sports. Many people are limited in their range of expedition due to lack of battery life in devices such as GPS, radios and other equipment. The mechanism serves as a way to charge these electrical devices while travelling away from a serviceable power grid. The device will enable users to carry fewer batteries while they are on extended trips away from power sources.
The mechanism can also be used as a means to supply power to remote areas in third world countries. This mechanism can store power for a variety of needs of people in remote areas. Including but not limited to lighting at night, communication, and various tools. In addition to being built into a shoe, the mechanism can be built into sandals and other footwear common to underdeveloped nations.
An optimal variation for implementation in soles of shoes is shown in included figures. However, the mechanism is not limited to this application. Any linear to rotational motion can be optimized for energy harvesting using this mechanism, including but not limited to car suspensions, tidal motion, or vibrations from machinery.